EU launches investigation into Chinese medical device market

The European Commission launched an investigation on Wednesday into Chinese public procurement of medical devices to determine if European suppliers have been granted fair access, the EU’s official journal said on Wednesday.
The investigation is the first under the EU International Procurement Instrument, which aims to promote reciprocity in access to international public procurement markets.
It could lead to the bloc placing restrictions on Chinese medical device companies bidding in EU public tenders.
The EU official journal listed a number of ways in which the Commission suspected China was unfairly favouring Chinese bidders, including a ‘Buy China’ policy, restrictions on imports and conditions leading to abnormally low bids that profit-oriented companies could not offer.